The Medical Assistant is a Royal Navy medical rating in the United Kingdom. Medical Assistants serve on all types of ships in the surface and submarine fleet, Royal Marines or ashore in a sick bay, hospital, or other establishment. The equivalent rate in the United States Navy (USN) is Hospital Corpsman.

The Medical Assistant, provides a broad spectrum of skills in primary care, occupational health, secondary care, pre-hospital trauma life support, medical administration, teaching First-Aid and disease prevention, providing health briefs, and basic environmental health. These are performed in a variety of roles at sea in a ship or Submarine, with Royal Marines Commandos, Fleet Air-Arm, shore establishments, Ministry of Defence Hospital Units, UKSF, and other Tri-Service Depts. Predominantly they provide day-to-day healthcare for their crewmates as a vital part of the ship’s company. On larger ships, they are part of a medical team, while on smaller ships they may be the only medic on board.

The Medical Assistant was previously known as Sick Berth Attendant and Sick berth Steward(19th-20th century) and earlier as loblolly boy (18th–19th century). Medical Assistants are colloquially known as "scablifters" or "doc" in Royal Naval JackSpeak. The Sick Berth Branch of the Royal Navy can said to have originated in 1833 when a directive was issued to Commanding Officers to organize a “Sick Berth Attendant” category of naval rating in each ship. They received no formal medical training and it was not until June 1883 that a Committee, known as the Hoskins Committee, after its Chairman, Rear Admiral A. H. Hoskins was formed to enquire into the organization and training of the Sick Berth and Nursing Staff of the Royal Navy Hospitals. The Committee, after visiting Naval and Military Hospitals as well as the larger London Hospitals reported their findings to the Admiralty in the autumn of 1884. The Admiralty gave their verdict in an Order in Council dated October 17, 1884. This Order authorised the establishment of a trained Sick Berth Rating Staff with the following Rates:

1st and 2nd Class Boys

Sick Berth Attendant

Sick Berth Steward 2nd Class

Sick Berth Steward 1st Class

Chief Sick Berth Steward

The Order also supported the formation of trained female nursing staff in naval hospitals, which in 1902 was to become the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service.

It was thought that boys from the Greenwich Hospital School, later The Royal Hospital School, would fill the vacancies. This proved not to be the case, so entry was opened to the Royal Marines and civilians.

In 1900, three new posts were created, known as Head Wardmasters, one for each of the three main hospitals.

In 1891 Sick Berth personnel received a new style of uniform. Instead of the blue serge jumper, blue cloth collar and bell bottom trousers, known as ‘Square Rig, they received a single or double breasted jacket and trousers with black buttons, red badges and a peaked cap. This was known as ‘fore and aft’ rig, and issued to ‘all ratings not dressed as seamen. This uniform was also issued to tradesmen known as ‘Artificers’, who were collectively known as ‘Tiffies’. So it was natural that sick berth attendants were also known as ‘Sick Berth Tiffies’.

In 1920, the term Steward was dropped in favour of Petty Officer. Another major change took place in 1965 which affected the Royal Navy as a whole when the ‘Fore and Aft’ rig was abolished in favour of the ‘Square Rig’. Also in 1965 the term Medical Assistant replaced Sick Berth, and so it remains to this day.

The first 13 weeks is called Common Core and is also completed with the medics from the British Army and RAF. This training includes:

Anatomy and physiology

Disorders and their treatments

Basic pharmacology and dispensing

Basic environmental health

Preventative medicine

Wounds and dressings

Medical administration

Geneva convention

First-Aid

Military Acute Care Course, involving pre-hospital trauma and life support.

An exam is taken on each week, those unable on the pass on their second attempt of each exam are 'back classed'.

Once complete a clinical placement of 6 weeks is conducted in a Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit (MDHU) on various wards. Trainees then return to DMSTG Whittington barracks to complete 6 weeks of Single Service (SS) training. SS training involves learning all aspects of Royal Navy medical administration, medical care in the CBRN environment and the care of those suffering from CBRN causes. Included in this is a week spent on board the training ship, HMS BRISTOL to practice casualty extraction, treatment, casualty simulation, organising of First-Aid exercises and the management of First-Aid Parties during peace and action stations.

The final set of clinical placements covers a period of 12 weeks. The first 6 weeks are conducted at a Medical Centre at a shore establishment to put in to practice clinical primary care and administrative skills. The next 6 weeks are spent once again at a MDHU, this time culminating in shifts at Emergency Rooms and Medical and Surgical Acute Care wards.

On return from the final phase of clinical placements the trainees return to DMSTG for 2 weeks which involves final exams on everything learned and if successful, graduation. The final phase, called 'Part IV training' is then concluded by a consolidation period of 'on the job' supervised training (12 weeks) on board a ship or shore establishment sick bay.

Throughout their career an MA must complete a rolling OPS task book. This task book covers all skills required for the MA to maintain their clinical skills in the primary care, secondary care and emergency care environments as well as medical administration and various maritime components. The various sections vary from being required to be completed annually to three yearly. The task book must be kept up to date and is an annual requirement if the rating is to be expected to even meet the basic qualifying criteria for further promotion. This ensures the MA remains current and motivated with their knowledge and skills. The rolling OPS task book is currently only required for the MA and Leading Medical Assistant (LMA) rates.

Prior to joining a ship, submarine or 3 Commando Brigade, MA's must conduct either the Maritime or Commando MA's Pre-Joining training (PJT) of 6 weeks duration. This is conducted at the Institute of Naval Medicine (INM) and involves refresher and update training in primary and emergency care, medical administration and dental first-aid. The Maritime component involves exercising on board HMS BRISTOL. Those completing the commando component pracitce field exercises in the Role 1 and 2 field medical environments at Commando Logistics Regiment (CLR) Medical Squadron. Included in this PJT is the Battle Field Advanced Trauma Life Support (BATLs) course.

The Black Serpent course is Tri-Service and open to RN, RAF and Army. It is run by the Medical Support Unit (MSU), Hereford and features various physical and other tests including a hills phase with march routes across the Brecon Beacons similar to those done for UKSF selection. Candidates will be expected to carry out simulated medical treatments during these marches. The goal of such exercises is to test a medic's ability successfully perform while under pressure and exhausted.

Those who volunteer for Service in the Submarine Service are responsible for the monitoring of air and water supplies and carrying out vital health and environmental safety checks. The training undertaken is Radiation Protection and Nuclear Chemistry at The Defence College of Management and Technology, HMS Sultan in Gosport and also Atmosphere Monitoring training at The Institute of Naval Medicine in Alverstoke. On completion of this training, Medical Assistant Submariners, MA(SM)'s are awarded a City and Guilds Certificate in Radiation Protection and optional membership of the Guild of Radiation Workers.

The insgnia of the Medical Assistant badge is the Red Cross of Geneva on a white back ground with gold circling. A Royal Crown above the insignia denotes that the rating is qualified at the senior rate level (PO).

Those who are at PO level who are qualified, recommended and selected, can go on to become Medical Services Officers (MSO). They undertake their initial training at Brittania Royal Naval College (BRNC) Dartmouth. The MSO are commisoned officers who provide policy, guidance and other managerial skills to the Medical Branches of the Royal Navy and Tri-service environment. The highest level they can reach is that of Captain, although there has been one instance of a Commodore. The MSO's were also previously called ward masters.